​Lyons began his state government career in 2005 with the Department of Agriculture and promoted into the Department of Corrections in February 2010 at the regional personnel office in LaGrange where he did payroll processing for KCIW.

In September 2011, Lyons left the department for a promotion with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services at Central State Hospital. He returned to Corrections the following year as the Human Resources Administrator at KCIW.

Prior to his promotion to deputy warden, Lyons served as the institution's EEO coordinator, workplace violence prevention coordinator, and litigation coordinator in addition to his HR duties. He has served as a member of the KCIW Crisis Negotiation Team.

A graduate of the University of Louisville with a bachelor's in political science, Lyons received the KCIW Employee Achievement Award in 2013. He is a 2017 graduate of the Commissioner's Executive Leadership Program, and that same year completed the FBI Crisis Negotiation course. He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency.